1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a method for creating a path-sensitive branch registry for use in a processing system and, more specifically, to identifying branch flows as subordinate relative to a path in the distributed transaction tree.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, the method of managing distributed transactions used in computer systems includes a system of tree structures having a plurality of processing nodes which are logically connected. Normally, each node's transaction manager automatically increments its present identifier at the end of processing each transaction to derive the next transaction identifier. When a distributed transaction is forced into a consistent state its associated superior/subordinate relationship becomes fixed. Typically, a transaction identifier is incremented in each of the nodes of a superior transaction manager. Consequently, transaction tasks in the superior transaction manager then proceed with the incremented identifier to one or more subordinate transaction managers. Similarly, the subordinate nodes assign a static branch qualifier. However, the subordinate transaction manager's identifier is modified to conform with its superior. As is the case with transactions, superior nodes often times receive instructions from nodes indirectly from the superior's subordinates. This situation results in cyclic distributed transactions that contain at least one loopback. The current practice is unable to ensure the safe creation of cyclic distributed transactions, without worries of database update failures, or unwanted tightly coupled behavior.
In addition, typically, for modem object servers, the two phase commit process is preceded by a phase known as “before-completion.” This process permits the object server to flush updates, cached in the object representation, to backing resource managers prior to the well-known two-phase commit process.
For distributed transaction trees that contain cycles, it is sometimes not possible for all updates to be pushed to the backing resource manager prior to that resource manager receiving the first part of the two-phase commit process. This will cause the resource manager to log an error, and commonly mark the global transaction rollback.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that unwinds the cyclical distributed transaction tree, while preserving the path for which the tree was allocated, regardless of the depth of the tree which maintains proper ordering of events and preventing unwanted sharing of resources.